The Memorial of Mary Magdalene

As I was reflecting on the meaning of the Memorial of St. Mary Magdalene, I couldn't really help but consider the popular notions and the twists that modernity has placed on her life and person. What many, if not most, people commonly know about Mary Magdalene comes from the false ideas made popular by Dan Brown's novel The Da Vinci Code.

In terms of our faith, that is, in terms of our real-life relationship with God and the Church, and with one another and with the whole world, what does the life of Mary Magdalene stand to teach us? What do we stand to learn aside from the fantasy and unreality that the non-believing world has chosen to accept as truth? Certainly fantasy—in the sense of creative imagination—about Mary Magdalene is nothing new, as the Gnostic literature of Nag Hammadi reveals.

Even from a more orthodox historical point of view there has never been great agreement about Mary Magdalene, but there has certainly been plenty said—especially in consideration of the tradition that identifies her with Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. So what are we to think or believe? What is the lesson to be had?

I don't know that it matters all that much that we identify with certainty whether or not Mary Magdalene was the sister of Martha or whether she was the sinner who anointed the Lord's feet, as the painting above depicts. Putting the three together—Magdalene, the sister of Martha, and the sinner—has helped somewhat to fill in the unknowns. However, what is clear from Luke 8:2-3 is that Mary Magdalene experienced a great healing and exorcism in her life.

I suppose that the popular media would never accept the fact that Mary had been freed from seven demons, which is at least symbolic of a great depth of sin and despair, as one of the most important things we can know about her. However, I deeply believe that this is where we should put our attention.

The first reading today from Micah reveals God's great clemency:

Who is there like you, the God who removes guilt
and pardons sin for the remnant of his inheritance;
Who does not persist in anger forever,
but delights rather in clemency,
And will again have compassion on us,
treading underfoot our guilt?
You will cast into the depths of the sea
all our sins;
You will show faithfulness to Jacob,
and grace to Abraham,
As you have sworn to our fathers
from days of old.

It does us some good to consider the ideal of grace as made concrete in an individual person. Sure, throughout history there have been great conversions, but in many ways Mary Magdalene serves almost as a prototypical example of God's grace made concrete in a human being who had a great need to be forgiven. It also does us good to consider that such grace is made available by faith in, and love for, Jesus.

The gospel narrative today tells us the story of Mary Magdalene's being privileged to be the first person to witness the Resurrection of the Lord. It is penance come full circle. As I considered the Easter witness of Mary Magdalene, the thought crossed my mind that many people might prefer that the first witness of the Resurrection had been someone else—perhaps Peter or the disciple "whom Jesus loved" or even Mary his mother—yet the one who had this privilege above all these is the one out of whom went seven demons.

The idea of someone who had been trapped in the depths—perhaps unimaginably despairing—of sin having the grace to be the first to witness the resurrected Lord speaks deeply of the faith that we need more and more in our times. Indeed, I have long held that Mary Magdalene is the kind of individual that stands to say the most to us.

Years ago a wise priest told me in counseling after confession that I had a saint who had been praying for me long before I was born. He told me that someday I would know who this saint is. Perhaps, he told me, I would even come to have a special devotion to this particular saint. In some ways I think that Mary Magdalene might be that saint.

On more than one occasion I have had people write in and tell me that religion as presented in blogs and on the Internet fails to address the true struggle that most Christians experience in their lives. I don't have to think back too far to find places in my own life that cause me to say to myself, "Yes, I do know the struggles. I too have struggled and frequently continue to do so."

What Mary Magdalene shows us is that freedom from struggle is not something that is outside our reach. She shows us that faith stands to be perfected in sinners. It could be that we get things wrong when we associate faith only with the pious and godly saints who never doubted or felt trapped by addictions or alcoholism or who experienced the darkness of depression or never had acted in such a way to feel genuine regret.

Mary Magdalene speaks to us of grace. Her face is reflected in the convicted killer on his way to the death chamber; it shows in the eyes of the woman leaving the abortion clinic. Her struggling heart is one with every drunk and drug addict, with every man and woman exploited by pornography, and with every adulterous husband or wife—and even those who have abandoned, neglected, and harmed their own children are not beneath Mary Magdalene. Yet hers is the witness of grace. It is the witness that our Lord Jesus heals us, removes our demons, and invites us to partake in his Resurrection.

For Mary Magdalene's dignity and meaning to shine through we don't have to imagine her in some fantastic role of hidden power. We don't have to fantasize that she possessed the gnosis of salvation. She lived a common human life; she needed healing and forgiveness and she turned to the God who promised that such graceful love as to forgive the fullness of guilt would always be available.  In her real life experience, there is an abundance to which we people of the 21st century can and perhaps must relate.

Comments

[Gabrielle]

This really gets to the heart of what Mary Magdalene's life can teach us, dd. For me, she represents the entire journey - conversion of heart, freedom from sin, the gift of contemplation, entering the Passion, enjoying the glory of the Resurrection, and afterwards, leading a penitential life. If she is "your saint", dd, you are blessed indeed.

[C]

Everyone should sit right down with her at His feet, maybe even lean against His shins. I love the Magdalen more than any other woman in Heaven, and yes, I know what I'm saying. But it's the truth, at least for now.

Wasn't it of her that He said, "She who was forgiven much, loves much"? At any rate, her witness was that of love. Love above and beyond all that is reasonable. Penitential love. She did not stay with the disciples, but went away to finish out her days in a cave. Praying and offering for the Church, would be my guess.

(And I've always wondered if Jesus told His Mother somewhere along the way that She would not be first to view His risen body, but that a very great surprise awaited Her at the end of Her earthly years.)

Indeed, the Magdalen encompasses the Christian life, and she heard her name in His risen mouth..as shall we hear ours one fine day.

[Victor]

Everyday I thank Jesus for personally thanking all His Saints and Friends for praying for me and I’m sure that Mary Magdalene is one of them. My faith is also certain that demons were removed from me in the pass although nowadays many would say, that what I did and went through was just human nature and that there is no such things as sins and/or demons trying to take control of humans. When Jesus was dying on the cross so that we could have protection from sin, if we want it, and said in so many words to His Father that we should be protected cause we did not know what we are doing, I think that He hit the nail right on the head and unfortunately the nails were used on His Flesh.

As you probably know, had He been just a Man, He might have told His Heavenly Father to send us all to hell because it hurt too much.

I also Thank Him for being cursed with Love while on the cross cause where would we be now had His Father's Word not been 'LOVE' for (U)sual (S)inners.

Peace be with all His Children

[Pia]

A beautiful, well pondered and superbly written post, DD.

[Hush]

Victor, no one is ever cursed with Love, least of all the Second Person of the Trinity of Love. God was always coming to us in the fullness of time, purposely to us who could not go to Him, and there was no reason but Love. As we hear in Scripture (Gospel of John), "No one takes my life from
Me. I lay it down, and I pick it up again."

And not even man would willingly send a man to hell--not if he truly knew man or truly knew hell. Or truly believed in the Mother of God.

He Who went to prepare a place for us in His Father's house, doesn't save us against His will. It's alright to have joy in our rescue. The Lord did the hard part, and He said not only "Repent" but "Rejoice!" --even as we take up our cross and follow him. If we don't rejoice, we're not only not His enough, yet, in His own season of ever-Easter, but we won't be attracting anyone to Him. And I am sure the Magdalen had joy second only to His Mother's, and does indeed pray for us.

[Victor]

I've asked myself why I would use a term like Jesus being cursed to Love. I know that God gave of His Life willingly and I'm eternally grateful for that. I know that He said also to Repent and Rejoice but my only explanation as to being curses would probably be that He begged His Father to take away the cup of a dreadful death and He went as far as sweating of His Blood while asking. Another reason might be that some of my imaginary spiritual friends have told me that because we were made in the image of God, every one of our cells will be given the choice to accept this beautiful cursed Love as protections against some of our stubborn sins without being cloned in reality by our forgiven sins who believe that they are truly gods.

I could go on and on but what do my crazy spiritual imaginary friendly fools really know?

God’s Will Be Done,

Peace